THUNDERBEAT Recognized as Breakthrough Innovative Technology by Leading Group Purchasing Organization

CENTER VALLEY, Pa., June 12, 2013 – Olympus, a precision technology leader in designing and delivering innovative Medical and Surgical solutions, among other core businesses, announced today that its THUNDERBEAT Advanced Energy Platform has been added to the Surgical Energy agreement with Premier. This award is a result of a “Breakthrough Technology” process where THUNDERBEAT demonstrated significant differentiation to be added to the agreement mid-stream. The agreement offers specially negotiated pricing to Premier’s alliance of more than 2,800 hospitals and 95,000 providers nationwide.

THUNDERBEAT is the world’s only platform that combines advanced bipolar and ultrasonic energies into a single multi-functional hand instrument allowing surgeons to simultaneously seal and cut vessels up to and including 7 mm in size with minimal thermal spread. Additionally, it boasts the fastest cutting speed, delivers reliable vessel sealing, and provides the highest grasping forces at the tip when compared to the leading energy instruments currently on the market.

"We are very excited to be selected by Premier as a preferred vendor for our THUNDERBEAT Advanced Energy Platform,” said Luke Calcraft, President of the Medical Systems Group at Olympus Corporation of the Americas. “THUNDERBEAT eliminates the need for surgeons to choose between the benefits of bipolar or ultrasonic energy by combining both energies into a single, universal system. This helps hospitals meet the demands of today’s healthcare environment by realizing cost savings while providing quality care.”

THUNDERBEAT, when combined with the versatility of the ESG-400 electrosurgical generator, is the only platform that delivers every common form of energy used in surgery today (monopolar, bipolar, ultrasonic and advanced bipolar) as well as the revolutionary combination of advanced bipolar and ultrasonic energies.

THUNDERBEAT was recognized by Premier as a Breakthrough Innovation Technology and was one of 14 medical innovations on display in front of thousands of healthcare providers and experts at the Premier healthcare alliance’s 2013 Breakthroughs Conference and Exhibition. In addition, the technology was showcased during the conference’s fifth annual Innovation Celebration that took place on June 11 in San Antonio. The event recognizes advances in healthcare while highlighting industry suppliers committed to innovation and improving patient outcomes.

About the Premier Healthcare Alliance, Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Recipient
Premier is the nation’s largest performance improvement alliance of more than 2,800 U.S. hospitals and 95,000 other sites using the power of collaboration and technology to lead the transformation to coordinated, high-quality, cost-effective care. Owned by healthcare providers, Premier operates a leading purchasing network with more than $5 billion in annual savings. Premier also maintains clinical, financial and outcomes databases based on 1 in every 4 patient discharges. A world leader in measurably improving patient care, Premier has the largest performance improvement collaboratives in America, including one in partnership with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Premier also has an office in Washington. https://www.premierinc.com. Stay connected with Premier on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

About Olympus Medical Systems Group
Olympus Medical Systems Group, a division of global technology leader Olympus, develops solutions for healthcare professionals that help improve clinical outcomes, reduce overall costs and enhance quality of life for their patients. By enabling less invasive procedures, innovative diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy, and early stage lung cancer evaluation and treatments, Olympus is transforming the future of healthcare.